You Can Be Jailed for Spending Wrong M-Pesa: Mombasa Man Learns the Hard Way After Keeping KSh 15,000

Many Kenyans think that money mistakenly sent to their M-Pesa is a blessing, but a man in Mombasa has just learned that it can land you in jail.

The man is in police custody after he allegedly spent KSh 15,000 that was accidentally sent to his phone by a stranger.

Police reports indicate that the sender had made a simple mistake of keying in a wrong digit while sending money. Moments after sending, he realized the cash had gone to a wrong number and frantically tried to reach the recipient.

Instead of helping, the recipient is said to have gone silent, switched off his phone and later withdrew and used the money.

The frustrated sender filed a report at a police station in Mombasa. Detectives from the cybercrime unit followed the digital trail and tracked the suspect to his house.

He was arrested and is now awaiting arraignment at the Mombasa Law Courts where he will be charged with misappropriation of funds.

Law enforcement officers have warned that M-Pesa wrong transactions are not free money. Under Kenyan law, retaining cash sent by mistake and failing to return it is considered theft and you can be prosecuted.

Police are now urging anyone who receives money by mistake to immediately initiate a reversal by calling Safaricom or reporting to the nearest police station instead of spending it.